Have you ever experienced such a situation? Where a deficiency constitution cannot tolerate tonics, and taking them leads to heatiness? Despite feeling very weak, once you take tonics, you develop mouth ulcers, swollen and painful gums, and the more you supplement, the more heatiness you experience? Why does this happen? In fact, this is likely due to the mischief caused by spleen deficiency with cold-dampness.

Traditional Chinese Medicine holds that cold-dampness belongs to yin pathogens, which most easily damage the human body's yang qi. The spleen and stomach, regarded as the foundation of postnatal life, are most afraid of cold-dampness intrusion. When cold-dampness is excessive, the yang qi of the spleen and stomach is impaired, their transforming and transporting functions weaken, and they become unable to normally digest and absorb nutrients from food. Under these conditions, taking tonics not only fails to promote absorption but instead causes these supplements to accumulate within the body. Over time, this accumulation stagnates and transforms into heat, leading to the problem of heatiness.

In this situation, to address the issue effectively, the key lies in two main aspects: first, clearing cold-dampness and phlegm-dampness from the body; and second, restoring the normal digestive and transformative functions of the spleen and stomach. Activating the yang energy of the spleen and stomach is central to dispelling cold-dampness. Today, I’d like to share two medicinal formulas with you, which can help expel cold and remove dampness without causing internal heat.

First, there is Fuzi Lizhong Wan (Aconite and Ginseng Center-Regulating Pill). It has the effects of warming the spleen, dispersing cold, relieving diarrhea, and alleviating pain, thereby strengthening the spleen and stomach while enhancing digestive function. This formula is particularly suitable for individuals with spleen-stomach deficiency-cold. If you typically avoid cold foods, experience abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting after consuming cold foods, have consistently cold hands and feet, a cool lower abdomen, and poor appetite, you should be cautious of a spleen-stomach deficiency-cold condition. In such cases, this formula can be considered to warm and nourish the spleen-stomach yang energy, preventing the condition from worsening.

Second, there is Erchen Wan (Two Aged Ingredients Pill). This formula works to resolve phlegm-dampness and regulate the spleen and stomach. For those who have already developed cold-dampness and phlegm-dampness, in addition to spleen-stomach discomfort, symptoms such as coughing with profuse phlegm, low energy, easy fatigue, heavy limbs, a thick greasy tongue coating, and a swollen tongue may appear. In such situations, this formula can be considered to transform phlegm and dispel dampness. It acts like a cleaner for the body, helping to eliminate excess phlegm-dampness and restore the smooth flow of qi.

Once the cold-dampness and phlegm-dampness in the body are cleared and the functions of the spleen and stomach return to normal, then you can proceed with tonification, and the body will be able to effectively absorb the nourishment. When the body’s pathways are unblocked, medications can be better absorbed and utilized by the body, naturally preventing the occurrence of internal heat.

The content of this article is for reference only. Everyone's constitution and symptoms vary, so medication must be used with caution. It is recommended to seek diagnosis and treatment under the guidance of a professional traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and avoid blindly following trends in medication to prevent counterproductive results!